Though 1984 was written well before its title, it is now 2008; there are many similarities between the book and todays society. Relationships of all kinds have less value, the government watches ones every move (or at least has the capability to), and large groups of students are influenced to believe other opinions at school due to our government system. The government has regulations and records on everything and everybody. George Orwell may not have been very far from predicting the truth when writing this novel in 1948, over 50 years ago.
In the world today, anywhere from something as harmless as television, shows less clarity of a loving family much like 1984. In the book, children went to school and were trained to be spies and turn adults (sometimes even their own parents) into the thought police. Parsons (Winstons comrade and neighbour) was turned in by his own daughter. He had committed a thought crime. This shows what little respect the children in the book were taught to have for their parents, and the baffling effect was the parents got use to it and came to accept it.
Furthermore, these children were sent to places where they were told how to think and who they would eventually become as a person. School is much like this today. School has the power to influence children on how to act, how to think, and who to become, instead of focusing on things of much higher importance such as their education. Sometimes the schools contradict information the children are given from the parents. The theory of evolution for example, has been taught as a theory and not creation. Parents may not spend much time teaching their children about creation and the child has only the schools information to turn to. Sex education being another; students in high school are taught to have safe sex instead of no sex at all. This may also contradict parents and their teachings.
In addition, Big Brother discouraged emotions and anything with meaning in families. Children are raised today with households based on financial support, affairs, and anything but real love. Children are taught that divorce is okay, and the value of marriages has greatly decreased. Till death do us part may now really mean Till death do us part or if you cant work out any problems and do things my way. In 1984, Winston separated with his wife Katherine. By law he could not get married again unless Katherine died but this was strictly to discourage love and sexual relationships. Todays definition of love has changed tremendously. The Oxfords dictionary second definition out of ten is attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers. Love today is overlooked and a family based on love can rarely exist in the right tense as it use to years ago.
What's more is that television has become a huge influence to children with average teenagers watching four to six hours of television daily. It is very rare that a television show has a whole, normal family. It is very common; however, that a television show displays a dysfunctional one.
Also the government we have today can track almost anything, making evidence of a crime much easier to find. Nowadays, the government gives authorization to look at all public school information, ones personal internet, and even library records. In 1984, evidence for crimes was set up in the form of microphones, telescreens, spies, and Thought Police. Both invading privacy, it is hardly noticed by the people, and they accept it as it is like second nature to them now.
With relationships downplayed, the government having access to ones private life and their children, George Orwell was very correct about the future of society and humans alike. Though the book was rather intense when it came to the outcomes, Orwell described a world of the government brainwashing the people. Much of society now does not realize what is going on or think it is a negative effect.
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